Darkness Rising
by Amberflame805
Summary: This is a oneshot on Mapleshade. First Cupcakeclan challenge


She hadn't always been like this. There hadn't always been a dark hole in her heart. There had been a time when she had been full of joy, when she had run, not weighed down by hatred. But that time was long ago. Never again would she ever be so free. For darkness had now found its place inside her, and there it would stay, until she was no more.

This is her story, the story of a young warrior full of life became the dark brooding cat she is now.

~.~

It happened when she met him. When she saw his golden fur glisten in the sun, his low smoky laughter drifting through the trees. It was his fault. All his fault.

It began slowly, in fact, they hated each other.

He was trespassing. She attacked him. She still remembered that amused grin plastered to his face as he pinned her.

~.~

He found her at the gathering, and they talked. He was witty and cunning. Of course she was loyal to her Clan and never once thought anything of their talks.

But he wasn't as… as honorable to the code as she was. She would die before she broke it. He liked to bend the rules.

~.~

And slowly a friendship began to blossom into something more. He was funny and he was one of the few that could make her laugh. And slowly the respect she mad for him starting to become something more too.

~.~

She started to notice the strong fluid muscles under his pelt. She noticed the way his fur glowed in the sun. She liked the way his pretty amber eyes gleamed with mischief. She found the way his fur was always adorably messy attractive. She began to feel like he was more than a friend.

~.~

And the transformation happened faster for him. When he first pinned her he found the fight in her attractive. When she rolled her eyes or said something snappish, she was amusing. When she argued with him, he enjoyed having a worthy competitor. When he made her laugh, he enjoyed the low tinkling sound. He liked the confident smooth movements she made. He liked looking at her pelt, with so many different colors. All in all, he really liked her.

~.~

So they started seeing each other. He was the one who suggested it. When she first heard the idea, she was shocked. Break the warrior code for some Riverclan tom? But the idea seemed more and more appealing as she missed him in the night. She looked up at the stars, but all she saw was him. None of the toms in her Clan made her feel the way she did around them. And none of them ever managed to make her laugh.

~.~

So one night, with the moon high in the sky, she finally agreed to meet him. They walked along the waters edge, and he told her about the fish that lay beneath the smooth surface.

And he taught her about Riverclan. He taught her how to stand at just the right angle so her shadow would scare the fish away. How to hook her claws under the belly for a quick death.

She taught him how to stay downwind from her prey. How to crouch just right so as to be invisible.

~.~

And she began to crave her evenings with him. She cherished the time he spent in her presence, and she hung on to every word he said.

~.~

One night things went a little to far. They had been playing in the water, having a splash fight. Drenched and tired they went on land. He moved a little closer. She moved closer. Things happen.

~.~

She hadn't known she was pregnant. When her sister had told her, she'd panicked. If the Clan found out what was between her and Appledusk, she would lose everything. So she made friends with Redfur, and pretended to love him. When the fact she would be a queen became obvious, the Clan assumed she and Redfur had had had to much fun.

~.~

They looked just him. The Clan knew at once. She attacked, thrown at her leaders paws. Banished forever she was forced to flee the only home she ever knew.

~.~

When she reached the river, the tide was high. She stepped carefully to avoid getting wet, but the step was wet, she slipped.

They were gone before she realized what happened. She never saw them again.

~.~

He threw her out, those eyes she so admired, filled with disgust.

~.~

And so she rotted, rotted because she had dared to love, and as the years went by, the more her hatred grew. It filled her heart until there was room for nothing else.

Mapleshade stood and sighed, regret in her eyes. Maybe is she'd been faster, maybe if she'd listened more carefully to Appledusk when he was teaching her-

No. It wasn't her fault.

Her eyes darkened, and she turned. Tomorrow the Clans would fall, and they would pay for what they did to her. Mapleshade turned and disappeared into the shadows.

**I really like the first few parts. The ending was rushed though, so, sorry. This was written on my iPad so I'm sure there are a lot of mistakes. **

**I hope I pass!**

**:D **


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